The forthcoming Hollywood adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy is to sacrifice many of the film's anti-religious sentiments in an effort to avoid a backlash from America's Christian right.

Director Chris Weitz has upset fans of Pullman's Carnegie-winning books after he admitted in a website interview that the books' Authority - a malevolent but feeble deity - will appear in the planned films as a representation of "any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual".

The fans may not be happy, but Weitz, who made American Pie and About a Boy, reportedly has the full support of Pullman.

Pullman's agent, Caradoc King, told today's Times: "Of course New Line want to make money, but Mr Weitz is a wonderful director and Philip is very supportive. You have to recognise that it is a challenge in the climate of Bush's America."

In a recent interview with bridgetothestars.net , a Pullman fan site, Weitz suggested that Pullman's own vision of the Authority as representing any repressive establishment, be it political, totalitarian, fundamental or communist, gave him a wide licence when it came to depicting the character on screen.

"This gives me a certain amount of leeway in navigating the very treacherous issues that beset adapting His Dark Materials for the screen.

"There may be some modification of terms. You will probably not hear of the church, but you will hear of the Magisterium. Those who will understand will understand."

New Line, which also funded Peter Jackson's worldbeating Lord of the Rings trilogy, has already overseen the dropping of Oscar-winning playwright Tom Stoppard from the project. The first of the films is due in 2006.